Although I'm not entirely against any refurbished items , I do quite prefer getting things brand new , but given my limited budget I don't think I can get an entire ecosystem right away unless of course compromising things
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I have about 2100€ and I want to build an entire apple ecosystem, what would you suggest ?
- Thread starter SloumaGamer
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Is a regular 15 better than getting the latest 15 pro max ? 🤔 Because if so , I can squeeze in an ipad air 5 with the base model along with a MacBook air M1 base model , however if not , I can purchase the 15 pro max with the ipad pro M2 and just wait until later for the M3 air
Yeah I've done some research and found out that many if not all programs that I use are non existent on MacOS sadly , however I can work with them in university computers and just use a MacBook for other things like note taking & coding
Unless you need the Pro Max features like the zoom lens, and its photo video editing abilities, I'd go for the regular 15. If you're going to get one of the Series 15 iPhone, you have two options:
- buy the 15/15 Plus, use it, and see if you still want the 15 Pro Max, if you do, then upgrade within a week or two
- buy the 15 Pro Max, use it, and see if you're making use of the extra features, if not return it for the regular 15/Plus
Matlab has Mac version yes, but maybe not other programs. When I was taking my electrical engineering degree, literally no serious software I used would work on macOS at all, and matlab was too much for my weak MacBook Air, so I ended up buying a PC.
In which case don’t buy anything more than M1 MacBook Air. However much I hate that machine, it is the best option available for you based on your budget.
I suggest you rethink your decision of buying an iPad, unless you can foresee good use cases and you use it frequent enough.
If you want to use university computers for windows-only programs, consider purchasing a cloud-based VM so in case you can’t use uni computer, you still have a backup solution.
All things considered, I'd keep the iPhone SE 22, which has years of life ahead, if not all the AI goodies a 15 pro might have. I don't game, and I use a grown-up camera, so much as I admire the 15 Pro, I just couldn't justify it.
Knowing what I know now, about my Apple watch ultra and iPad Pro, I'd let them go; they're nice to have, but marginal. There are mechanical watches way cooler than an Apple Watch will ever be.
I'd plow the money into an Apple Refurb M1 Pro, emphasizing RAM. Virtualization will get better over time, which I'd like better than a university Lab/SSH/RDP. Maybe put some cash aside for a battery replacement.
I concur with others who pointed out that it's wiser to stage your procurements, focus on return on investment. This philosophy won't get you into the cool kids' club though. I'm so unhip, my bum fell off.
Knowing what I know now, about my Apple watch ultra and iPad Pro, I'd let them go; they're nice to have, but marginal. There are mechanical watches way cooler than an Apple Watch will ever be.
I'd plow the money into an Apple Refurb M1 Pro, emphasizing RAM. Virtualization will get better over time, which I'd like better than a university Lab/SSH/RDP. Maybe put some cash aside for a battery replacement.
I concur with others who pointed out that it's wiser to stage your procurements, focus on return on investment. This philosophy won't get you into the cool kids' club though. I'm so unhip, my bum fell off.
What's your goal with being in "the ecosystem"? What feature/ what value would being in "the ecosystem" give you?
COMPUTER:
The VAST majority of your expense will be the computer cost. You want to use Multisim. According to
"It is possible to use Multisim on a Mac OS X or Linux by means a Virtual Machine, where you are in fact installing on Windows. In Mac OS X you can also use Bootcamp. Please be aware that Bootcamp and Virtual Machine are not supported methods, and NI does not recommend using them as a replacement for Multisim Live or for using a Windows based computer."
*I DO NOT KNOW IF MULTISIM WORKS IN A VIRTUALIZED ENVIRONMENT ON APPLE SILICONE!* Contact them and find out. If it does not work in a virtualized environment on Apple Silicone, you'll have to stay with Windows, or get a cheap MacBook Air M1.
IF, on the other hand, it does work with Apple Silicone with a virtualized environment, I recommend a machine with AT LEAST 24 GB of Ram. You should have 16GB assigned to the Windows VM, and 8 GB for MacOS. Or, better yet, whatever your current RAM amount is on your windows machine, double it for MacOS.
MathLab requires at least 16GB (Source: https://www.mathworks.com/support/requirements/matlab-mac.html)
Since you'll be working with a VM, you'll need a professional machine otherwise the VMs will cause the MacBook Airs to overhead and slow down.
Sadly, the MacBook Pro, 14" M3, with 24GBs (the maximum I can select) is 2,400 Euros (from the Ireland store). That's over your limit.
The MacBook Air, 13", M2 chip with 24GB (the maximum I can select) is 1,800 Euros (from the Ireland store). That's within your limit, but just barely - and won't leave you with much room to buy new iToys.
What about buying used?
That's a possibility, but RAM is usually a build to order option, so it'll be hard to find a machine that meets your RAM requirements.
MY OPINION:
Check and see if Multisim can run in a Virtual Machine on Apple Silicone. If it is, then will this computer be a replacement for your current setup?
COMPUTER:
The VAST majority of your expense will be the computer cost. You want to use Multisim. According to
"It is possible to use Multisim on a Mac OS X or Linux by means a Virtual Machine, where you are in fact installing on Windows. In Mac OS X you can also use Bootcamp. Please be aware that Bootcamp and Virtual Machine are not supported methods, and NI does not recommend using them as a replacement for Multisim Live or for using a Windows based computer."
*I DO NOT KNOW IF MULTISIM WORKS IN A VIRTUALIZED ENVIRONMENT ON APPLE SILICONE!* Contact them and find out. If it does not work in a virtualized environment on Apple Silicone, you'll have to stay with Windows, or get a cheap MacBook Air M1.
IF, on the other hand, it does work with Apple Silicone with a virtualized environment, I recommend a machine with AT LEAST 24 GB of Ram. You should have 16GB assigned to the Windows VM, and 8 GB for MacOS. Or, better yet, whatever your current RAM amount is on your windows machine, double it for MacOS.
MathLab requires at least 16GB (Source: https://www.mathworks.com/support/requirements/matlab-mac.html)
Since you'll be working with a VM, you'll need a professional machine otherwise the VMs will cause the MacBook Airs to overhead and slow down.
Sadly, the MacBook Pro, 14" M3, with 24GBs (the maximum I can select) is 2,400 Euros (from the Ireland store). That's over your limit.
The MacBook Air, 13", M2 chip with 24GB (the maximum I can select) is 1,800 Euros (from the Ireland store). That's within your limit, but just barely - and won't leave you with much room to buy new iToys.
What about buying used?
That's a possibility, but RAM is usually a build to order option, so it'll be hard to find a machine that meets your RAM requirements.
MY OPINION:
Check and see if Multisim can run in a Virtual Machine on Apple Silicone. If it is, then will this computer be a replacement for your current setup?
A macos version is not necessarily a requirement; being sure that it will run in Parallels is. Solidworks runs perfectly fine, even when using realview graphics.
My recent apple device purchase:
* iPhone 12 Pro 128G: $400 (second-hand) + DIY new battery ($20)
* M2 iPad Pro 12.9 256G: $800 (discount)
* M1 Macbook Air 16G+256G: $870 (second-hand)
No interest on apple watch because of poor battery life.
M1… so I have to put a massive asterisk on parallel here, noting M1 is not powerful enough to run parallel and windows in near full speed, And to keep that going OP would need 16GB of RAM minimum, which means his iPad budget is gone for good.
Sounds like you are a student. As you've noticed 2100€ won't get you the top of the line apple ecosystem.
As other have mentioned not sure what you really want to get from the "ecosystem" itself but I would say just buy what you really need:
- iPhone: you already have one, don't waste your money.
- iPad: consider if you really have a use case for it. As far as I'm concerned it's the least useful apple device (but YMMV) so I wouldn't get one in your situation.
- Mac: buy a decent refurbished one, like M1 Pro 14" with most of your budget
- apple watch: if you're into quantified self / activity tracking, it's a great device. Buy the cheapest you can get from S6,S7,S8,S9, Ultra (1 or 2) or SE2. The others have a chip that is too old.
- if you still have some money left, consider investing into airpods (2, 3, Pro or Pro 2)
And most importantly buy each of them one by one, that will bring you much more enjoyment
As other have mentioned not sure what you really want to get from the "ecosystem" itself but I would say just buy what you really need:
- iPhone: you already have one, don't waste your money.
- iPad: consider if you really have a use case for it. As far as I'm concerned it's the least useful apple device (but YMMV) so I wouldn't get one in your situation.
- Mac: buy a decent refurbished one, like M1 Pro 14" with most of your budget
- apple watch: if you're into quantified self / activity tracking, it's a great device. Buy the cheapest you can get from S6,S7,S8,S9, Ultra (1 or 2) or SE2. The others have a chip that is too old.
- if you still have some money left, consider investing into airpods (2, 3, Pro or Pro 2)
And most importantly buy each of them one by one, that will bring you much more enjoyment
The refurbs I have bought from Apple have been indistinguishable from new.
If you keep your iPhone and don’t want an iPad you’re far into the ecosystem already; macbook air m2 with 16gb of ram, should be possible, add the apple watch and voila. If you want the iPad (notetaking and binging are awesome and if you’re a bit of a creative, for illustration it is great as well), you could always add it later. You can build yourself into the ecosystem over time.
On MacOS I get by with 8gb of ram, when I have SolidWorks (in Parallels), illustrator, Lightroom and photoshop open. Nonetheless running windows software on windows hardware will have less overhead and for stutter-free alt-tabbing 16 gigs will help.
I love how things gets synchronized together , and I just love the ease of use of IOS compared to others , never did try MacOS however , I'll be developing an iOS app soon enough so I need one regardless
I love my SE 2022 , however as I'm always on my phone the battery life tend to drain faster and that's what put me on the edge to get a new iphone with a better battery , although the SE 2022 is on par with the iphone 13 lol
I've been buying stuff from the Apple refurb store for years. Other than the box that it comes in the items are basically new. You should have no fears from using the refurb store to save a bit of cash.
Yeah "from apple" , unfortunately there is none in my country mostly just certified apple resellers along with marketplace and that's about it
Yeah I see that my budget won't allow me to buy everything right away which is unfortunate ngl , I would prioritize the MacBook like you said and either the ipad or apple watch + airpods
Being a student sucks lol
There is absolutely no functional or aesthetic difference between new and refurbished hardware from Apple* -- except for a plainer box. Otherwise the experience is identical and the warranty is the same. You're basically throwing down hundreds of dollars for a nicer product box if you buy new instead of refurbished (provided the model you want is available).
* note here I'm talking about refurbished items sold directly by Apple, not by any third-party companies.
edit: Oops, just saw your subsequent post about how Apple-refurbished products aren't available in your country. I'll leave the comment here for other readers.
I'll suggest that maybe you don't buy every corner of the ecosystem at once. If it were me, and it's not, I'd use the budget to buy slightly higher in the line for each item and spread the purchases out over a few years. I typically keep my Apple products for more than 5 years each (sometimes not, depending on the rate of change, but often more), so if you stage out your purchases you can avoid having to make a big buy all at once.
Macs are what I keep the longest, I think, and it's a cornerstone of the ecosystem, so maybe start there and by the time you make the change over the Mac will still be a contributing member of the team.
Macs are what I keep the longest, I think, and it's a cornerstone of the ecosystem, so maybe start there and by the time you make the change over the Mac will still be a contributing member of the team.
I wouldn't bother getting an iPad. Get a bigger screen iPhone and a MacBook. The iPad is just superfluous. Any Apple Watch after series 4 is fine. Get the cheapest one you can find.